


And Then There Were...

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: We All Wanted This [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Foursome - F/F/F/M, Illnesses, Magical Pregnancy, Multi, Polyamory, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 23:50:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18648643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: Spring has come to Storybrooke, but a nasty bout of Dragon flu ushers in a new dynamic for the whole family.





	1. Regina

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 28 September 2018 - ???  
> Word Count: TBD  
> Summary: Spring has come to Storybrooke, but a nasty bout of Dragon flu ushers in a new dynamic for the whole family.  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent AU taking place approximately 2 months after the events of "We All Wanted This", but nothing of S7 happens. Beyond that, everything we know about these characters is totally up for grabs.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Series: We All Wanted This  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: So this is something that I'd initially wanted to touch on in the original fic, "We All Wanted This", but oparu's request for no pregnancies kind of put the kibosh on that. Then, we talked about it afterward and she ended up liking the idea, so I planned this sequel, but things happened and it kinda languished on my computer for quite a while. And then Update Month happened, and I realized that the files languishing could be pulled out and worked on …and went a little angstier than I initially planned. Okay, a lot angstier. LOL! But I wouldn't change a damned thing about this. It's working out better in ways I hadn't planned on. And for the record, Nan is absolutely behind part of the angst in this, and I love her for it. LOL! 
> 
> Formatting Notes: I'm playing around with different text styles for the characters in this one. This is the basic breakdown of how they look.
> 
> _{{ Regina}}_  
>  _~~ Mal ~~_  
>  _< < Rob >>_  
>  _^^ Quinn ^^_  
>  _~^ Lily ^~_  
>  _// Henry //_
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Many thanks to Nan and Anam for looking over the initial chapters of this beastie.

The message comes in as Regina is coming back from a meeting to an unexpected afternoon free of meetings or deadlines.

           _~^ Hey, Ma, you free or… ^~_

She smiles at Lily's avatar, a shot Mal had taken of the two of them laughing and holding each other up, then starts to type out her reply.

           _{{ Just finished my last meeting of the day and have the rest of my afternoon open. }}_

She leans back in her chair with a smile, watching those three bouncing dots that signal her daughter responding. When they stop, but no message appears, Regina begins to worry, then the dots appear again.

           _~^ Can I come talk to you? This is better for a face to face thing than messaging. ^~_

           _{{ Of course. Do you want to meet me at the diner for coffee and pie? }}_

It takes a few minutes before she gets a positive response, replying that she's on her way over now. Her walk to the diner is leisurely, enjoying the warmer than usual spring weather. She can feel it in her bones that this warm weather will continue and blossom into a spectacular summer. This just means that Roland will enjoy himself when he comes to visit for the Fourth of July festivities with Quinn and Rob. She's already planning things for her little knight to do. She steps into the diner, looking for an open booth, then spies Lily already sitting at the booth that's kind of become her family's. She slides in across from her daughter with a smile, noting the tension pinching at her eyes.

"Lily, sweetheart, are you all right?" she asks, reaching across to squeeze her daughter's hand.

Before Lily can answer, Granny is at their table, moving preternaturally quietly for a woman of her age. She studies mother and daughter for a moment, quirking a brow. "To what do I owe this surprise visit, Junior Dragon? I thought you were booked solid for the next two months?"

Lily shrugs and offers a sheepish grin. "Maybe I just missed the venison stew? Little John and Tuck don't hold a candle to you."

She doesn't even bother to stop the hand suddenly flying to smack the back of her head. "You don't need to keep buttering me up like that, missy. Your meals are always on the house for making sure I can visit Ruby and Dorothy."

"You were the first one to accept me outside of my family. Of course, you get the family discount."

Granny smiles and pats her cheek. "You're still a flatterer like your mother. What can I get you both?"

Once she has their orders and wanders off, Regina studies her daughter again. "What's going on, Lily? I thought you were staying with Quinn and Rob a little longer." When Lily literally begins to squirm and evade her gaze, Regina is torn between curiosity and worry. "Lily?"

"Does your magic allow you to sense things about the rest of the family?" She still won't meet Regina's gaze, nail tracing a crack line in the table's surface. "Like if something's off?"

"If you mean mother's intuition about you and your brother, yes. Or knowing your mom's mood just by her body language, definitely yes. But those aren't necessarily magically driven instincts." She reaches across to touch her daughter's hand again. "Lily, please tell me what's going on?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ma, but will you let me smell you?"

There's a part of Regina that wants to question the request, but that same mother's intuition she's just talked about kicks in _hard_. "Of course. Whatever you need, sweetheart."

She watches as Lily slides out of the booth, pivots and moves to sit next to her, briefly leaning in to nuzzle at her hair as she inhales deeply once, twice, a third time. Without a word, Lily gets up and returns to her seat, a puzzled look on her face, muttering, "Okay, not you, but _that_ was interesting…"

"Lilith Page, what is going on? You're worrying me."

"You need to talk to Mom."

"I don't understand." She pauses before continuing as Granny brings over their coffees and slices of pie. She smiles gratefully at the older woman, then waits until she returns to the counter before speaking again. "You're acting like Henry when he's trying to be cryptic about one of his missions."

That gets Lily to laugh. "Yeah, about that… He's gonna stay with me tonight, okay? I really think you and Mom need to talk." She licks her lips. "How's she doing anyway? I haven't seen her since I came back."

Regina shrugs and takes a sip of her coffee. Her eyes flutter shut briefly at the taste of the exotic dark roast that Granny keeps specifically for her and Quinn. It tastes heavenly, but it doesn't help to ease the growing worry at her daughter's behavior. "She's been under the weather recently. She said it was something to do with the lingering effects of winter on her Dragon sensibilities."

Lily snorts softly into her own cup of coffee. "Is she okay though? How sick is she?"

"It comes and goes. I'm hoping today is a better day for her because of how warm it is. Why?"

"Trust me, Ma, I think you need to talk to her and make sure she's really okay." There's a flush to Lily's cheeks then. "You know how stubborn we can be when we're not well."

"Your mother says the same thing about me, you know," Regina says softly. "I guess you inherited that from both of us."

"Yeah, I guess I did. Will you talk to her?"

"I will. Why don't you come to dinner tonight? It'll be the four of us. You can see for yourself that your mother's just got some sort of lingering cold."

Once Lily agrees, the conversation turns to more inconsequential things as they enjoy their slices of pie and coffee. Even as she enjoys spending time with her daughter, Regina can sense that Lily is keeping something important from her. Wracking her brain for a possible conclusion and coming up with nothing, Regina realizes that maybe she should check with Mal on what it might be.

*****

"Mal?" she calls, walking into the house. "Are you home yet?" The blonde's resistance to learn how to drive when she has magic is both endearing and annoying as hell at times.

"Out here."

The words trail in from the backyard, and Regina follows them out on the deck, where she finds Mal stretched out on a lounge chair in the rare spring warmth and sunlight. Regina takes in the comforter spread over her lover's body and frowns, Lily's earlier words echoing in her head. "Are you still feeling off?"

Mal nods slowly and sighs, but offers a smile as Regina perches next to her on the chair. "I thought it was finally fading, but I puked up my guts about half an hour ago. I'm tired of this, Kitten."

"I know you are, my love," she replies, leaning in to press a kiss to Mal's temple. Without thought, she delicately sniffs at Mal's hair, wondering if she can detect anything wrong like Lily supposedly can. But all she smells is the rosemary and mint shampoo Mal favors, as well as the faint hint of brimstone and spices that is so indelibly Mal.

"What are you doing, Kitten? Do I have a fever?"

Regina smiles and leans back to shake her head. "No, my love, you're not feverish. What can I offer you for dinner that won't make you queasy?"

"Nothing," Mal whispers, swallowing thickly, then frowns and licks her lips. "Maybe some pickled daikon and champagne grapes smothered in ghost pepper sauce?" The frown deepens, despite the eagerness in her pale eyes. "What the hell?"

"That's pretty specific, but I think I can manage it. I'm not sure Henry will enjoy that for dinner, but I can make something else for him and Lily to eat."

"Lily?" And just like that, the frown disappears. To this day, Regina's not sure which of them is more excited to spend time with their daughter. "I thought she was with Quinn and Rob?"

"She said she's worried about you," Regina replies, fingers stroking through Mal's hair. "Frankly, so am I. I wish you'd see a doctor about this."

"There are no doctors here that specialize in Dragon anatomy and health."

"You're forgetting about Dasha, not to mention Eugenia's healing skills." When Mal grumbles softly, Regina just laughs and continues to stroke Mal's hair. "Maybe you can answer something for me. When I caught up with Lily at the diner earlier, she asked to smell me and, when I let her, she made some vague statement about it not being me and was adamant that I talk to you and make sure you're okay. What's going on, Maleficent?"


	2. Maleficent

Dinner is just not in the cards for Mal at all. She winds up curled around the toilet in the master ensuite, Regina's warmest down comforter draped around her body, and she brings up only bile and snot and tears. Regina's already warned her once that if any blood comes up, she's going to the hospital. As much as Mal hates the healers in this benighted town, even she knows that puking up blood is bad. She doesn't want to admit to Regina just how worried she is about what's going on. She hates lying to her partner, but she also hates fanning the flames of Regina's anxiety.

"Mom?"

The sound of Lily's voice pulls Mal from her thoughts, and she struggles to flush the toilet just before the door opens. She turns to offer a wan smile to her daughter, not wanting to upset her either. The worry in Lily's eyes, so like her other mother's, is a strong indication that she's out of luck in that realm.

"Hey, sweetie." Does her voice really sound that wrecked?

"You look like shit, Mom. You should go to the ER."

Mal shakes her head, eyes closing briefly as she gets lightheaded. "I-It's fine, Lily. I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Lily's voice is closer now, and she feels a hand on her back, even through the comforter. "Mom, you shouldn't be this sick for this long."

"Lily, I'm fine. It's just a bad strain of Dragon flu."

"Bullshit." Mal opens her eyes to see Lily lean in closer, nose in Mal's hair for a deep inhale, then a second. "That's what I thought. You are not suffering from Dragon flu, Mom, and I think you know it, too. You need to talk to Ma about this."

Mal leans back against the vanity, tugging the comforter around herself more tightly. "Talk to her about what exactly?"

Lily shifts to sit next to Mal, pulling her head down to her shoulder. Mal settles easily against her, exhausted from all the puking. "Mom, I really don't think you want me to spell it out for you, but let me ask you this. How long have you been feeling shitty?"

"A couple weeks, I guess?" Her forehead furrows as she thinks about it. "Maybe a month tops? And before you ask it, yes, Dragon flu can last that long, sometimes longer. This is just a particularly nasty bout for me."

Lily hums noncommittally and presses a kiss to Mal's hair. "If you say so." Mal can hear the disbelief in her voice, but doesn't have the strength to argue with her. "How about we get you back into bed for a while? I'll go collect Henry and head out, and you can rest with Ma tonight."

"Lily…"

"I know Ma already told you that Henry's staying with me, so don't even fight me on that. If you're still this sick tomorrow, I want you to promise me that you'll see someone. Ma already told me about her lady friend at the hospital and I know Granny would give you a good once over. And if you don't go on your own, I'm gonna just bring one or both of them over here myself, so you're not getting out of this."

*****

When she next wakes up, it's to a room lit only by the flickering glow of the fireplace and a warm, compact body curled into her side. Her stomach seems to have settled finally and, while she's still exhausted, that lethargic, near death sensation is no longer present. This is perhaps the best she's felt in a while now, but it's still not _quite_ right. She stretches gingerly, not wanting to wake Regina, and glances at the alarm clock to see that it's not quite midnight.

"Are you feeling better?"

Regina's soft words are sleep-slurred, and Mal feels that familiar, distinct warmth in her chest at just how much she loves this woman. She takes a slow deep breath and strokes Regina's cheek. "I am actually. I'm sorry I worried you and Lily so much."

Regina shifts up to balance on a forearm, reaching up to card her fingers through Mal's hair. "I'm happy to hear you're feeling better, my love, but I'm still worried, you know. Lily knows something and won't tell me what it is. You Dragons are a little _too_ good at keeping secrets sometimes. You're damned lucky I love you both so much."

"It's not intentional," Mal replies, leaning into her touch. "There are just some things that I don't know _how_ to share, not even with you. Or maybe _especially_ with you."

That gets Regina to sit up fully and turn on the bedside lamp. Mal can see the confusion and concern written clearly on her face. She gingerly shifts to lean back against the headboard, grateful that her body doesn't rebel against her at the movement.

"Why especially with me?" Regina reaches over to lace their fingers together. "Maleficent, you know I am always here for you, always willing to listen without judgment, no matter what."

"I know." She absently rubs her stomach with her free hand. "As much as I hate to admit it, I think I definitely need to see someone about how I've been feeling. I'm never this ill for this long." She offers a sheepish smile. "You know, Lily threatened me with the ER earlier."

"I know she did. She told me before she left and made me promise I'd do the same thing." Regina rolls her eyes. "Like I wouldn't take you in myself if you were bringing up blood. I love our daughter, but sometimes she can be a bit extra, kind of like her mother."

"Like both of her mothers." They both chuckle at that, then Mal leans in to press a gentle kiss to Regina's lips. She relaxes more as the kiss lingers. "I love you, Kitten, so very much."

"And I love you, Mal, always have, always will."

"I know I get on you when you say this because it's not true, but right now I feel so much like I don't deserve you, Regina." The snort of response is exactly what she expects, pulling a soft chuckle from her own lips. "I know, I know."

Regina snuggles into her side, settling their joined hands on Mal's stomach. "Have you been this sick with Dragon flu before, Mal? I don't remember it at all, and I remember every time you've been sick. You're always so healthy…"

"There have been a few times I've gotten sick and you had no idea. And then there's when I was pregnant with Lily. Well, when I was incubating before laying her egg."

She watches Regina's lips curl downward into a pouty frown at her words. "I will never forgive myself for not being there for both of you then."

"Regina--"

"No, Mal, it's true. I missed out on so much. If I'd known, maybe…"

"Maybe we wouldn't be in any better a situation than we've ended up in already." Mal cups her chin tightly. "Listen to me, Kitten, and listen good. I have no regrets about what has happened to get us here. I have you, Lily, and Henry. We have Quinn and Rob. Hell, I can even stomach being around the Uncharming clan without wanting to taste their blood. This is a big damned deal." When Regina lets out a soft laugh, Mal joins her. "And that is what I wanted to hear. I know you regret not being there, but just remember this. If you'd stayed with me and Lily, you wouldn't have Henry, and we wouldn't have Rob and Quinn."

Regina nods slowly. "I know you're right, I do, but I can't help my regrets sometimes."

Instead of speaking, Mal just nods and nuzzles at Regina's temple with her nose. She can feel when Regina begins to relax, and smiles as her own body follows suit. "Do you miss Quinn and Rob, too?" At Regina's nod, she continues, "Maybe, once I'm feeling better again, we should see if they want to come visit. If they bring Roland along, I know you and Henry will be quite happy."

"That's three people to come through the portal on Lily's back. I know she's strong and Roland's still little, but that's a lot of weight for her to carry in one trip."

"Maybe I could go help her?"

"Maybe… But not until you're fully healthy again. Lily and Quinn can figure out the magic required to bring all of them through at once."

"Kitten, it'll be okay. _I'll_ be okay."

"I know. I just hate it when you're sick and there's nothing I can do to help."

"You're here now, aren't you? Just being with me is a huge help, Kitten."

Regina squeezes her hand. "I will always be here for you, Maleficent. I know I wasn't for a while there, but I will be now. I love you so much and I fear ever having a life when you're not in it."

"Shh, Kitten, that's not going to hap--" The nausea comes on with the strength of a tsunami, cutting off Mal's words and sending her scrambling for the bathroom. She doesn't get more than six feet before dropping to her knees to vomit up bile all over the floor at the foot of the bed.


	3. Rob

"Rob!" Quinn's urgent tone pulls him from deep sleep. "Rob, wake up."

He reaches for her, intending to pull her closer, but his hand finds only rapidly cooling sheets and an empty mattress. Yawning, Rob scrubs the heel of one hand across his eyes and sits up to see Quinn pacing in front of her vanity mirror. He would make a sly comment about her flimsy attire, but her rigid posture screams distress. Without thought, he stumbles out of bed to pull her into his arms. She fights him at first, but the second he knows she recognizes him, she bursts into stressed tears.

"Hey, what's wrong, babe? Are you hurt? Roland? What's got you all worked up?"

His blood runs cold at her softly murmured _Maleficent_ , and the unease he's been feeling for the last few days kicks in harder. He holds Quinn closer, pressing kisses to her hair as he tries to get his mouth and brain to work in tandem. A quick glance at the vanity mirror shows the mess that is Regina and Mal's bedroom, complete with what can only be some sort of vomit on the carpet. But neither woman can be seen.

"Quinn, what's going on? Where are Regina and Mal?"

"I don't know, I can't find them. Lily and Henry are sleeping at Lily's house. There's no one at the mansion. I've checked everyone's houses that I can think of and access via mirrors, but they're not there. I'm worried, Rob. Something's wrong, I can feel it."

Rob nods, feeling the same sense of urgency that exudes from his fiancée's very pores. "Should we wake Lily?"

Before Rob can formulate a reply, the image in the mirror flickers and shifts, and they hear Lily's voice. "Quinn? Rob? You awake?"

"Lily?" Quinn turns to the mirror, pulling Rob behind her. "Lily, where are your mothers? Something is wrong. I can feel it, and their bedroom--"

"Get dressed, both of you," Lily replies, cutting her off. "I'm opening a portal to come get you. You have five minutes."

Quinn grips Rob's arm tightly. "What happened?"

"Ma just called. She's taken Mom to the ER. She wanted me to come get you both. Where's Roland?"

Quinn is absolutely still in his arms, and Rob can barely understand what he's just heard. "Uh, Roland's with Little John and the men. I can leave them a message."

"Good. See you in a couple minutes. Be ready to go."

*****

Within ten minutes, Rob and Quinn find themselves on a beach below the lighthouse, watching Lily shift from her Dragon form. This is the private beach that the family uses for their visits when they need subterfuge. He stares at Lily, unsure how she and Quinn can seem so calm suddenly. The faint shudder that races down Quinn's spine reminds him just how strongly she can rein in her emotions when she needs to... and just how exhausting it is for her to keep up. They need to get to Regina and Mal immediately.

"Ma?" Lily says into her phone once in human form again, and Rob notes that her voice isn't as steady as she probably wants any of them to think. He wonders just how bad things are if her tough façade is cracking already. She's so much like her mothers in that respect. "Yeah, I've got them. No, I don't think she can. I can get us there, Ma. You just stick with Mom and keep us informed, okay? Yeah, if you think I can easily land on the roof of--"

In the space between one breath and the next, Rob feels that disconcerting swoop in his gut that he knows will never get any easier to deal with. When the smoke dissipates from around them, he blinks at the bright lights and disinfectant smells of the ER waiting room. He's been there only once or twice before, and it always disconcerts him.

"--the hospital," Lily says, clearly finishing her thought before stabbing at her phone to end the call. "God damn it, Ma! Warn me next time!"

"Sorry," Regina says softly, pulling his attention to his fiancée's twin.

She looks absolutely wrecked, her bloodshot eyes looking even more pronounced with that vein throbbing in her forehead. Quinn is at her side instantly, pulling her into a tight embrace. All Rob can do is stand there and watch them. Even Lily seems unsure of what to do. As both Regina and Quinn let out a sob, his temporary paralysis lifts and he moves to envelop them in the circle of his arms. He holds them as they cry, offering the strength he knows they both need.

"What happened, Regina?" he finally asks softly. He listens intently as Regina explains what she knows, Lily giving additional information, but it all sounds like a cold gone horribly wrong. It doesn't ease the dread swirling in his gut in the slightest. Quinn is trying to comfort Regina, but he knows she's just as shaken right now, has just as long a history with Mal and Lily. 

Before he can ask anything else, someone calls out Regina's name. As one, the four of them turn to see the woman coming toward them, a gentle smile on her face. Both Regina and Quinn stiffen in his embrace, and he feels his heartbeat begin to speed up.

"Dasha?" He expects Regina to speak, but it's Quinn asking the question.

"Quinn, it's good to see you," the woman replies, then offers her hand to Rob as she comes close enough. "And you must be Rob. I'm Darya Farazell or, as Regina and Quinn used to call me in the Enchanted Forest, Dasha. I'll answer to either."

Rob nods and manages to free his right hand to shakes hers. "I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances. How is Maleficent?"

"She's actually doing better than you probably are expecting." Those words ease a bit of the fear clenching his heart in a vise grip. "How about the four of you come on back to see her? I can explain more of what's going on to all of you in private."

"Dasha, please tell me she's going to be okay."

"She's going to be okay, Regina. I have never lied to you and I don't intend to start now."


	4. Quinn

It takes a few minutes before the group of them head back to see Mal and find out what's going on. Darya has made sure that everyone has water, even Rob, and gets Lily to eat a banana. Quinn knows that Mal is in good hands; Darya always took such good care of her and Regina when they were a single person back in the Enchanted Forest. But she's anxious to know that Mal is all right.

"All right," Darya finally says just as Quinn wants to magically seek out Mal's signature and poof to her. "Let's head back to see Maleficent."

She wants to laugh at the absurd mental image of the four of them as ducklings waddling after their mama to the safety of the nest. Yes, she would happily follow Darya to the ends of the earth, the woman has more than earned her trust, but she still wants to laugh. Even more, she knows _Regina_ needs to laugh, but it will come out in that brittle, hysterical tone that rides the razor's edge of insanity. They just need to see Mal and know she's okay.

They step into the room, and Quinn isn't even surprised that Regina is the first one in as soon as Darya opens the door. She practically crawls into the bed with Mal. There's a part of Quinn that wants to do the same thing. She hesitates by the door, watching as Regina touches and whispers to Mal. Mal nods and opens her eyes to look directly at Quinn and reach out a hand, which she moves to take.

"When did you and Rob get here?" Mal sounds absolutely shattered, and Quinn squeezes her hand tightly.

"Not long ago. Lily made sure we got here safely. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better. I didn't mean to worry you and Rob."

"You're an idiot sometimes, Maleficent," she says, rolling her eyes, then smiles as Rob comes over to press a kiss to Mal's forehead in greeting. "So, Dasha, do you know what's wrong with Mal?"

"I do know, but… Well, how about all of you get comforta--"

"Just tell us, Dasha!" Regina growls, hysteria coloring her words in a sharper pitch.

"Kitten…" The nickname visibly affects Regina, who sags against Mal, making Quinn want to just cuddle both of them. "Darya, what did you find out?"

Quinn watches Darya take a deep breath and study the chart in her hands. There's a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, which helps Quinn relax a bit. Darya wouldn't do that if something was wrong. "Okay, so first things first, Maleficent was dehydrated, which is why we have the IV going."

Quinn does her best to follow the information Darya's giving them, but she can sense that there's more to it and this is just the equivalent of busy work to delay the real news. Mal moans softly at one point, pulling her attention away. Quinn squeezes her hand as Regina presses a kiss to her temple.

"And now that you know what we've done to help get Mal back into a healthier state, how about I explain how Mal got into this state in the first place and where we can go from here."

Mal mutters, "It's about damned time." Everyone chuckles at that, and Quinn appreciates the lowered tensions again.

"All right, I'm not really sure how to break this to the five of you, but… Maleficent, you're pregnant, about seven weeks or so."

The entire room goes so silent, Quinn is certain she's gone instantly deaf. Her lungs struggle to take in oxygen, and she remembers finding out belatedly that she and Mal (and Regina, of course) had conceived Lily, and all that was missed with their daughter over the years. And now there is a new baby, but… She glances over at Regina and feels an irrational stab of jealousy that her twin can share this experience with Mal now that she still can't share with Rob.

In the space between one heartbeat and the next, sound returns and she can hear Mal growling, "Are you fucking with me, Darya?"

Before anyone can answer, Regina scrambles to her feet and races out of the room. Mal starts to get up to follow her, but Rob touches her shoulder. "Mal, stay here and rest. Let me go."

"Bring her back to me, Rob."

He nods and heads out of the room, leaving Mal, Quinn, Lily, and Darya behind. Quinn can see that Darya feels out of place in this moment, but her focus is on Mal. "She's going to be okay, Mal. Rob can talk to her and bring her back to us."

"I can't be pregnant," Mal mutters softly. "I have incredibly strong protections in place."

"I know this is a shock, Maleficent," Darya says, "but I can do an ultrasound to verify the bloodwork if you'd like."

"Not until she's back." There are tears in Mal's eyes that make Quinn's heart break. "Nothing happens without her here."

"Mom, it's gonna be okay. You and Ma have been through so much already and you're still together."

"But having someone else's baby, even if it's someone we both love, isn't going to be easy on your mother, sweetheart. She's still working through her grief over Robin and her feelings toward Rob."

That pulls Quinn up short. "Wait! You think this is _Rob's_ baby?"

Mal turns a withering glare on her that would be more convincing if her eyes weren't glossy with unshed tears. "Who else have I slept with that could get me pregnant, Quinn?"

"Me. Regina. We've done it before." Quinn points to Lily, who waves sheepishly. "The proof is standing right there."

"But why _now_ , Quinn? The timing is suspect, don't you think?"

Quinn takes a moment to consider her questions, realizing that it _is_ a bit unusual, but… "Maleficent, my darling, you know very well that magic is still unpredictable here. And remember that the four of us were together on Valentine's Day. You and I were reconnecting for the first time since before Robin died. Regina and Rob were dealing with their own issues. There were a lot of emotions in that bedroom that night, and three of us have magic. I suppose it was probably inevitable that something was going to happen, magical birth control or not."

Furrows form between Mal's brows as she stares at Quinn. "You-- Wait. What are you saying, Quinn?" She shifts to sit up a little more, letting go of Quinn's hand. "What did you do? Did you and Rob plan this?"

"Hey, Mom, stop." Lily's voice startles both Quinn and Mal, judging by the way Mal flinches. "Do you really think Quinn and Rob would do something like that? Come on."

Mal turns to stare at the door, hands falling to her stomach. "No," she whispers, blinking against tears, then looks at Quinn. "Lily's right, isn't she? This wasn't intentional?"

Quinn's eyes burn with unshed tears, and she reaches up to stroke Mal's cheek. "This was not intentional, Mal. We would never do that to either of you. We love you both too much to ever consider taking your choices from you in such a way. Surely you know that."

"Quinn, I--"

"Even when I was at my most unstable and evilest point in my life, I would never do that to you. And I know Rob wouldn't either."

"I'm sorry, Quinn. I didn't--" Mal sucks in a shuddering breath and shakes her head. "No, I won't lie and say that I didn't mean it, because on some level I clearly did. I'm upset and worried about what's going on, especially with your twin running out of here for so long now, and I lashed out. This is the time for the four of us to come together and support each other, and here I am pushing you away and accusing you like an asshole. Please let me apologize for that?"

Quinn leans in to press a gentle kiss to Mal's lips, then rest their foreheads together. "I already forgave you, my darling. Just try to relax, okay? Stress isn't good for the baby."


End file.
